AP Government and Politics Exam Guide for Unit III
Each of the links below contain all of the Wilson Study Guides for each chapter (featuring outlines, matching, true/false, multiple choice, and SRQs) that came from the 12th edition of the Wilson workbook. The multiple choice questions found on your unit exam may be taken from this bank of questions...study and review all of them in order to prepare!
The following SRQ (Short Response Questions) are the actual questions that were originally found in the Advanced Placement United States History Exams that have been held since 1999. Learn from the past and anticipate answering similar questions on the AP Exam this year...
1999 Exam - Question 1: In the 1990's presidential election campaigns have become more candidate centered and less focus on issues and party labels. This change has been attributed both to how the media cover presidential campaigns and to how candidates use the media. Identify and explain two ways in which the media have contributed to candidate-centered presidential campaigns. Identify and explain two ways in which presidential candidates' use of the media has contributed to candidate-centered campaigns. Your answer should NOT include a discussion presidential primary elections. 1999 Exam - Question 2: National interest groups often target national-level policymaking institutions to achieve their policy objectives. Select one of the following national interest groups.
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
American Medical Association (AMA)
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
For the group you selected do each of the following.
Identify one major national-level policymaking institution that this group targets.
Describe one resource or chacteristic of the group you have chosen AND explain how it influences the choice of the target you have identified in the first bullet.
Describe another resource or characteristic of the group you have chosen AND explain how it influences the choice of the target you have identified in the first bullet.
2000 Exam - Question 2: The Supreme Court is commonly throught to be "above politics." However, one can argue that the appointment of Supreme Court justices is political.
Identify three characteristics of Supreme Court nominees and discuss how each characteristic has been politically relevant during the appointment process.
Identify two methods that have been used by interest groups to infleunce the appointment process. Explain how each of these methods has been used to infleunce that process.
2001 Exam - Question 2: The graph located here shows reelection rates for incumbents in the House and Senate. From this information and your knowledge of United States politics, perform the following tasks.
Identify two patterns displayed in the graph.
Identify two factors that contribute to incumbency advantage. Explain how each factor contributes to incumbency advantage.
Discuss one consequence of incumbency advantage for the United States political process.
2002 Exam - Question 3: Political institutions can present both obstacles and opportunities to racial minority groups in their efforts to gain political influence.
Identify one feature of two of the following and explain how each feature has presented obstacles to racial minority groups in their efforts to achieve political goals.
Federalism
The United States political party system
The United States electoral system
2002 Exam - Question 4: In the last half of the twentieth century, voter turnout in federal elections has declined. During the same period, voter turnout has been higher in presidential elections than in midterm elections.
Identify two factors that have contributed to the overall decline in turnout in federal elections and explain how each factor has contributed to the overall decline.
Identify and explain two reasons why voter turnout has been higher in presidential elections than in midterm elections.
2003 Exam - Question 2: Citizens often choose to participate in the political process in ways other than voting.
Identify two forms of participation in the political process other than voting.
Explain two advantages of each form of participation you identified in the first bullet.
2004 Exam - Question 2: Different interest groups will choose different techniques to achieve their objectives based on their resources, characteristics, and goals.
Describe each of the following techniques and explain why an interest groups would choose each techniques.
Litigation
Campaign contributions
Grassroots lobbying/mass mobilization
Select one of the following groups and identify the primary technique it uses from the list in the first part. Explain why the group you selected would employ that technique over the other two techniques.
American Medical Association (AMA)
Sierra Club
National Rifle Association (NRA)
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
2006 Exam - Question 1: While interest groups and political parties each play a significant role in the United States political system, they differ in their fundamental goals.
Identify the fundamental goal of interest groups in the political process.
Identify the fundamental goal of major political parties in the political process.
Describe two different ways by which interest groups support the fundamental goal of politicial parties in the political process.
For one of the forms of support you described in the third bullet, explain two different ways in which that form of support helps interest groups to achieve their fundamental goal in the political process.
2009 Exam - Question 2: In the United States political system, there are several linkage institutions that can connect citizens to government. Elections constitute one such institution. Because of low voter turnout, elections represent an imperfect method of linking citizens to their government. Even when there is low voter turnout, however, other linkage institutions can connect citizens to government.
Describe how each of the following is related to the likelihood of voting.
Age
Education
Identify one current government electoral requirement that decreases voter turnout. Explain how it decreases voter turnout.
Identify one linkage institution other than elections and explain two ways it connects citizens to government.
Each of the links below contain all of the Wilson Study Guides for each chapter (featuring outlines, matching, true/false, multiple choice, and SRQs) that came from the 12th edition of the Wilson workbook. The multiple choice questions found on your unit exam may be taken from this bank of questions...study and review all of them in order to prepare!
Chapter 6 Study Guide
Chapter 9 Study Guide
Chapter 10 Study Guide
The following SRQ (Short Response Questions) are the actual questions that were originally found in the Advanced Placement United States History Exams that have been held since 1999. Learn from the past and anticipate answering similar questions on the AP Exam this year...
1999 Exam - Question 1: In the 1990's presidential election campaigns have become more candidate centered and less focus on issues and party labels. This change has been attributed both to how the media cover presidential campaigns and to how candidates use the media. Identify and explain two ways in which the media have contributed to candidate-centered presidential campaigns. Identify and explain two ways in which presidential candidates' use of the media has contributed to candidate-centered campaigns. Your answer should NOT include a discussion presidential primary elections.
1999 Exam - Question 2: National interest groups often target national-level policymaking institutions to achieve their policy objectives. Select one of the following national interest groups.
For the group you selected do each of the following.
2000 Exam - Question 2: The Supreme Court is commonly throught to be "above politics." However, one can argue that the appointment of Supreme Court justices is political.
2001 Exam - Question 2: The graph located here shows reelection rates for incumbents in the House and Senate. From this information and your knowledge of United States politics, perform the following tasks.
2002 Exam - Question 3: Political institutions can present both obstacles and opportunities to racial minority groups in their efforts to gain political influence.
2002 Exam - Question 4: In the last half of the twentieth century, voter turnout in federal elections has declined. During the same period, voter turnout has been higher in presidential elections than in midterm elections.
2003 Exam - Question 2: Citizens often choose to participate in the political process in ways other than voting.
2004 Exam - Question 2: Different interest groups will choose different techniques to achieve their objectives based on their resources, characteristics, and goals.
2006 Exam - Question 1: While interest groups and political parties each play a significant role in the United States political system, they differ in their fundamental goals.
2009 Exam - Question 2: In the United States political system, there are several linkage institutions that can connect citizens to government. Elections constitute one such institution. Because of low voter turnout, elections represent an imperfect method of linking citizens to their government. Even when there is low voter turnout, however, other linkage institutions can connect citizens to government.
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